The Carnegie Library was built in 1906, roughly on the same site as the present Seeley G. Mudd Library. It was funded in part by a $50,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie and modeled after the Carnegie Library in Washington, D.C. Prior to the construction of this building, the Lawrence library had been housed in Main Hall. The Carnegie Library housed administrative offices on the second floor in addition to shelving and study space.

By 1960, the expanding collection and growing student population required an addition to the library. An addition was built on the east and south side of the Carnegie Library, and the structure was dedicated in the fall of 1962 as the Samuel Appleton-Carnegie Library.

Twelve years later, the Carnegie Library part of the building was destroyed to be replaced by an expanded front portion. This new structure, the Seeley G. Mudd Library, was dedicated in 1976 and supported by a grant from the Seeley G. Mudd Fund. Dr. Mudd established this $44 million fund in his will to support the construction of college and university buildings; thus, there are several Seeley G. Mudd libraries on college campuses around the country.

Scope and Contents: This collection consists of materials documenting the planning, construction, and renovation of library buildings at Lawrence University. These buildings include the Carnegie Library (1906-1962), the Samuel Appleton-Carnegie Library (1962-1974), and the Seeley G. Mudd Library (1974-present). Correspondence, newspaper clippings, planning documents, contracts, dedication programs, and photographs are included in the collection.